pottery

Raku Glaze

Raku Pottery Glaze: Shiny Copper Flash

The flashing will vary with each firing. This was fired to 1875F and given medium post-firing reduction using newspaper after pulling from the kiln.

Oct Glaze of the Month

Shiny Copper Flash

%75 Gerstley Borate
      %12.5  Nepheline Syenite
      %12.5  EPK

    Add:
       %8 Copper Carbonate
       %2 Cobalt Carbonate
     

Raku Glaze

Raku Pottery Glaze: Copper Matt

The flashing will vary with each firing.  Both of these were fired to 1875F and given medium post-firing reduction using newspaper after pulling from the kiln.

Copper Matt

Add

%75 Gerstley Borate
      %12.5  Nepheline Syenite
      %12.5  EPK

    Add:
       %8 Copper Carbonate
       %2 Cobalt Carbonate

  Add:
       %16 Synthetic Bone Ash


     

Raku Glaze

Raku Pottery Glaze: Emerald Green Copper Flash

The raku glaze of the month is a greenish blue with copper flashes that will vary from firing to firing.

Raku Pottery Glaze of the Month | August

Emerald Green Copper Flash Glaze

Frit 3110:                                  30%
Frit 3124:                                  20%
Gerstley Borate:                       30%
Nepheline Syenite:                   20%
Copper Carbonate:                   5%

Raku Glaze

Raku Pottery Glaze: Forbes Midnight Blue

Midnight Blue is a rich cobalt blue with red streaks in post firing reduction.  Stay tuned for this month's pot which features previous glazes of the month:  Blue Moon, Lime Green and Sassy Fat White/Silver Slither, in addition to this month's Midnight Blue.  

Forbes Midnight Blue Glaze

Frit 3110                          68%
Custer Feldspar                18%
EPK (Kaolin)                      9%
Lithium Carbonate               5%
Copper Carbonate               4%
Cobalt Carbonate                2%
Hectorite                            2% (or Bentonite 1%)

Raku Glaze, Press & News

Raku Pottery Glaze: Forbes Lime Green

As shown fired to 2000F with pyrometer so the silver glaze will melt.

RAKU POTTERY GLAZE RECIPE

Frit 3110                     54%
Nepheline Syenite    21%
EPK (Kaolin)               10%
Silica                           10%
Lithium Carbonate     5%
Add:
Chrome                       .4% (that's point 4)
Tin                               3%
Hectorite                     2%  (or 1 Bentonite dry mixed)

A note about Hectorite:  It's a suspender in powder form similar to Bentonite except it doesn't have to be dry mixed with the other chemicals.  It's not a common raku pottery glaze chemical and you may have to search for it on the web. I purchased mine at Highwater Clays, but they don't carry it anymore due to lack of demand (nobody knew what it was used for).

Raku Glaze

Raku Pottery Glaze: Blue Moon

Glaze fired to 1900F.

RAKU POTTERY GLAZE RECIPE

Silica                             30%
Frit 3134                        20%
Nepheline Syenite        15%     
Lithium Carbonate.       15%
EPK Kaolin                     10%
Strontium Carbonate    10%
Tin Oxide                        7%
Copper Carbonate         4%
Bentonite                         1%

 

 

 

This is a stable blue and red glaze.  1/2% Epsom Salts can be substituted for Bentonite.  This glaze produces some incredible raku pottery and is one that I developed several years ago.  This picture is the results of the raku glaze fired to 1900F. It remains a staple in my studio.  See more of my work by visiting my raku pottery store.  To learn more about my process, visit my raku firing page.

New Press, Press & News

Write up from Venice Clay Artists

"Gazing at the free form patterns and natural colours of a raku pottery finish is like looking at the colourful atmosphere of a mysterious world. Steven Forbes deSoule raku pieces are no exception and present exotic vistas that invite wonderful intrigue. He introduces more green and blue hues, in addition to the typical earthy reds and orange raku colours, in the reduction process to enhance the colour diversity. He uses the raku standard of a steel rubbish bin for a reduction chamber, which I always view as a fantastic irony, relative to the glorious outcomes from raku firing.
Steven Forbes deSoule has been a successful raku pottery artist for over 37 years, creating unique, hand made vessels and sculptures, while finding endless ways to manipulate the oxygen, gases and glazes during the raku reduction technique, to achieve a myriad of attractive outcomes. His intricate firing process and use of his own glazes and underglazes, with multiple firings, leads to ‘one of a kind pieces’ displaying beautiful enriched colours and textures. “The one constant with my work throughout the years has been transformation. I find it fun and challenging to try new things, and I especially enjoy developing new glazes. I started firing exclusively using the raku process in 1982 and found the element of serendipity and surprise to be invigorating.”"

http://www.veniceclayartists.com/steven-forbes-desoule-raku-with-lush-hues/